Semiconductor device with face-to-face chips on interposer and method of manufacturing the same

ABSTRACT

A method of making a semiconductor device with face-to-face chips on interposer includes the step of attaching a chip-on-interposer subassembly on a heat spreader with the chip inserted into a cavity of the heat spreader so that the heat spreader provides mechanical support for the interposer. The heat spreader also provides thermal dissipation, electromagnetic shielding and moisture barrier for the enclosed chip. In the method, a second chip is also electrically coupled to a second surface of the interposer and an optional second heat spreader is attached to the second chip.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of pending U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/523,892 filed Oct. 26, 2014, which claims the priority benefit ofU.S. Provisional Application No. 61/895,517 filed Oct. 25, 2013 and thepriority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/918,070 filedDec. 19, 2013. The entirety of each said Provisional application isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, moreparticularly, to a semiconductor device having chips face-to-facemounted on an interposer and thermally connected to separate heatspreaders and a method of making the same.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

The convergence of mobility, communication, and computing has createdsignificant thermal, electrical and reliability challenges to thesemiconductor packaging industry. Despite numerous face-to-face chipassemblies reported in the literature, many performance-relateddeficiencies remain. For example, the semiconductor devices disclosed inU.S. Pat. Nos. 6,281,042 and 7,626,829 have chips disposed on both sidesof an interposer so that the face-to-face chips can be electricallyconnected through the interposer. However, as interposer is typicallymade of fragile material such as silicon or glass with many through viaspenetrated therein, its mechanical strength and rigidity is questionableto sustain board level assembly. As a result, a freestanding interposerwithout adequate mechanical support presents a reliability problem whichcan induce cracking and thus cause electrical disconnection between thechips.

Face-to-face chip assemblies disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No.2014/0210107 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,502,372 and 8,008,121 improve thedevice reliability by providing mechanical support for interposer.However, these approaches render serious performance degradationproblems as the heat generated by the encapsulated chip cannot bedissipated properly through the thermally insulating materials.

For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below, anurgent need exists to develop a new apparatus and method to interconnectchips with face-to-face configuration without using a free-standinginterposer so as to improve device reliability, and avoid the use ofthermally insulating material such as mold compound or resin laminate toencapsulate the chips so as to prevent overheating of the chips thatcreates enormous concerns in device reliability and electricalperformance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide asemiconductor device with face-to-face chips mounted on an interposer inwhich the interposer is firmly attached to a heat spreader so that theheat spreader can provide necessary mechanical support for theinterposer that connects face-to-face chips mounted thereon.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a semiconductordevice with face-to-face chips mounted on an interposer in which atleast one chip is enclosed in a cavity of a heat spreader so as toeffectively dissipate the heat generated by the chip, thereby improvingsignal integrity and electrical performance of the semiconductor device.

In accordance with the foregoing and other objectives, the presentinvention proposes a semiconductor device that includes an interposer,top and bottom chips, and a top heat spreader. The top chip iselectrically coupled to a top side of the interposer by bumps andembedded in a cavity of the top heat spreader with the top side of theinterposer attached to the top heat spreader. The bottom chip iselectrically coupled to a bottom side of the interposer by bumps andthus is electrically connected to the top chip by through vias of theinterposer. Optionally, the semiconductor device may further include abalancing layer, a bottom heat spreader and an interconnect substrate.The bottom heat spreader is thermally connected to the bottom chip toprovide thermal dissipation for the bottom chip. The balancing layercovers sidewalls of the interposer and preferably extends laterally toperipheral edges of the semiconductor device. The interconnect substrateis disposed on the top or bottom side of the interposer and iselectrically coupled to the interposer for further fan-out routing.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of making asemiconductor device with face-to-face chips on interposer, includingthe steps of: providing an interposer that includes a first surface, asecond surface opposite to the first surface, first contact pads on thefirst surface, second contact pads on the second surface, and throughvias that electrically couple the first contact pads and the secondcontact pads; electrically coupling a first chip to the first contactpads of the interposer by a plurality of bumps to provide achip-on-interposer subassembly; providing a first heat spreader having acavity; attaching the chip-on-interposer subassembly to the first heatspreader using a thermally conductive material with the first chipinserted into the cavity and the interposer laterally extending beyondthe cavity; optionally providing a balancing layer that covers sidewallsof the interposer and the first heat spreader; with thechip-on-interposer subassembly attached to the first heat spreader,electrically coupling a second chip to the second contact pads of theinterposer by a plurality of bumps and optionally electrically couplingan interconnect substrate to additional second contact pads on thesecond surface of the interposer by a plurality of solder balls; andoptionally attaching a second heat spreader on the second chip.

In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method of makinganother semiconductor device with face-to-face chips on interposer,including the steps of: providing an interposer that includes a firstsurface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, first contactpads on the first surface, second contact pads on the second surface,and through vias that electrically couple the first contact pads and thesecond contact pads; electrically coupling a first chip to the firstcontact pads of the interposer by a plurality of bumps to provide achip-on-interposer subassembly; providing a first heat spreader having acavity; attaching the chip-on-interposer subassembly to the first heatspreader using a thermally conductive material with the first chipinserted into the cavity and the interposer laterally extending beyondthe cavity; providing a balancing layer that covers sidewalls of theinterposer and the first heat spreader; with the chip-on-interposersubassembly attached to the first heat spreader, electrically coupling asecond chip to the second contact pads of the interposer by a pluralityof bumps; attaching a second heat spreader to the second chip using athermally conductive material with the second chip inserted into acavity of the second heat spreader and the interposer laterallyextending beyond the cavity of the second heat spreader; selectivelyremoving portions of the first or second heat spreader to exposeadditional first contact pads on the first surface or additional secondcontact pads on the second surface of the interposer; and optionallyelectrically coupling an interconnect substrate to the additional firstor second contact pads of the interposer by a plurality of solder balls.

Unless specific descriptions or steps necessarily occur in a certainorder, the sequence of the above-mentioned steps is not limited to thatset forth above and may be changed or reordered according to desireddesign.

In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a semiconductordevice with face-to-face chips on interposer, including a first chip, asecond chip, an interposer, a first heat spreader, optionally abalancing layer, optionally a second heat spreader and optionally aninterconnect substrate, wherein (i) the interposer has a first surface,a second surface opposite to the first surface, first contact pads onthe first surface, second contact pads on the second surface, andthrough vias that electrically couple the first contact pads and thesecond contact pads; (ii) the first chip is electrically coupled to thefirst contact pads of the interposer by a plurality of bumps to providea chip-on-interposer subassembly; (iii) the chip-on-interposersubassembly is attached to the first heat spreader using a thermallyconductive material with the first chip enclosed in a cavity of thefirst heat spreader and the interposer laterally extending beyond thecavity; (iv) the second chip is electrically coupled to the secondcontact pads of the interposer by a plurality of bumps; (v) the optionalbalancing layer covers sidewalls of the interposer; (vi) the optionalsecond heat spreader is attached on the second chip, or is attached tothe second chip using a thermally conductive material with the secondchip inserted into a cavity of the second heat spreader and theinterposer laterally extending beyond the cavity of the second heatspreader; and (vii) the optional interconnect substrate is electricallycoupled to additional first contact pads on the first surface oradditional second contact pads on the second surface of the interposerby a plurality of solder balls.

The semiconductor device and the method of making the same according tothe present invention have numerous advantages. For instance,electrically coupling the chips to the opposite sides of the interposerby flip chip attachment offers the shortest interconnect distancebetween the chips face-to-face mounted on the opposite sides of theinterposer. Attaching the chip-on-interposer subassembly to the heatspreader with the chip inserted into the cavity is particularlyadvantageous as the heat spreader can provide thermal dissipation forthe embedded chip and also provide a support platform to proceed with aninterconnection procedure on the other side of the interposer.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will befurther described and more readily apparent from the detaileddescription of the preferred embodiments which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention can best be understood when read in conjunction withthe following drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional and top perspective views,respectively, of an interposer panel in accordance with the firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a chip with bumps mounted thereon inaccordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional and top perspective views,respectively, of a panel-scale assembly with the chips of FIG. 3electrically coupled to the interposer panel of FIGS. 1 and 2 inaccordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional and top perspective views,respectively, of a diced state of the panel-scale assembly of FIGS. 4and 5 in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are cross-sectional and top perspective views,respectively, of a chip-on-interposer subassembly corresponding to adiced unit in FIGS. 6 and 7 in accordance with the first embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are cross-sectional and bottom perspective views,respectively, of a heat spreader in accordance with the first embodimentof the present invention;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are cross-sectional and bottom perspective views,respectively, showing a state in which an adhesive is dispensed on theheat spreader of FIGS. 10 and 11 in accordance with the first embodimentof the present invention;

FIGS. 14 and 15 are cross-sectional and bottom perspective views,respectively, showing a state in which the chip-on-interposersubassemblies of FIGS. 8 and 9 are attached to the heat spreader ofFIGS. 12 and 13 in accordance with the first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 16 and 17 are cross-sectional and bottom perspective views,respectively, showing a state in which the structure of FIGS. 14 and 15is provided with another adhesive in accordance with the firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 18 and 19 are cross-sectional and bottom perspective views,respectively, showing a state in which excess adhesive is removed fromthe structure of FIGS. 16 and 17 in accordance with the first embodimentof the present invention;

FIGS. 20 and 21 are cross-sectional and bottom perspective views,respectively, showing a state in which a balancing layer is disposed onthe structure of FIGS. 18 and 19 in accordance with the first embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which additionalchips are mounted on the structure of FIG. 20 to finish the fabricationof a semiconductor device in accordance with the first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which an alignmentguide is formed on a heat spreader in accordance with the secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a bottom perspective view showing a state in which anotheraspect of an alignment guide is formed on a heat spreader in accordancewith the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view showing a laminate substrate inaccordance with the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 26 and 27 are cross-sectional and bottom perspective views,respectively, showing a state in which the laminate substrate of FIG. 25is processed to form an alignment guide in accordance with the secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view showing a laminate substrate withopenings in accordance with the second embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the laminatesubstrate of FIG. 28 is processed to form an alignment guide inaccordance with the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the laminatesubstrate of FIG. 26 is provided with a cavity to finish the fabricationof another aspect of a heat spreader in accordance with the secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which an alignmentguide is formed on a metal plate in accordance with the secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a base layeris disposed on the structure of FIG. 31 to finish the fabrication of yetanother aspect of a heat spreader in accordance with the secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which an adhesiveis dispensed on the heat spreader of FIG. 23 in accordance with thesecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 34 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which achip-on-interposer subassembly is attached to the heat spreader of FIG.33 in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 35 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the structureof FIG. 34 is provided with another adhesive in accordance with thesecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 36 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which excessadhesive is removed from the structure of FIG. 35 in accordance with thesecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 37 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which achip-on-interposer subassembly is attached to the heat spreader of FIG.32 in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 38 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a balancinglayer is disposed on the structure of FIG. 36 in accordance with thesecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 39 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which another chipis mounted on the structure of FIG. 38 in accordance with the secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 40 is a cross-sectional view of an interconnect substrate inaccordance with the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 41 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which theinterconnect substrate of FIG. 40 is mounted on the structure of FIG. 39in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 42 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which another heatspreader is mounted on the structure of FIG. 41 to finish thefabrication of a semiconductor device in accordance with the secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 43 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which achip-on-interposer subassembly is attached to the heat spreader of FIG.24 using an adhesive in accordance with the third embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 44 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the structureof FIG. 43 is provided with another adhesive in accordance with thethird embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 45 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a balancinglayer is disposed on the structure of FIG. 44 in accordance with thethird embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 46 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which another chipis mounted on the structure of FIG. 45 in accordance with the thirdembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 47 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which another heatspreader is mounted on the structure of FIG. 46 in accordance with thethird embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 48 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the upperheat spreader of FIG. 47 is selectively removed in accordance with thethird embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 49 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the exposedadhesive of FIG. 48 is removed in accordance with the third embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 50 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which aninterconnect substrate is mounted on the structure of FIG. 49 to finishthe fabrication of a semiconductor device in accordance with the thirdembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 51 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which chips areface-to-face mounted on an interposer and enclosed in separate heatspreaders in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 52 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the lowerheat spreader of FIG. 51 is selectively removed in accordance with thefourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 53 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the exposedadhesive of FIG. 52 is removed in accordance with the fourth embodimentof the present invention; and

FIG. 54 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which aninterconnect substrate is mounted on the structure of the FIG. 53 tofinish the fabrication of a semiconductor device in accordance with thefourth embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Hereafter, examples will be provided to illustrate the embodiments ofthe present invention. Advantages and effects of the invention willbecome more apparent from the disclosure of the present invention. Itshould be noted that these accompanying figures are simplified andillustrative. The quantity, shape and size of components shown in thefigures may be modified according to practical conditions, and thearrangement of components may be more complex. Other various aspectsalso may be practiced or applied in the invention, and variousmodifications and variations can be made without departing from thespirit of the invention based on various concepts and applications.

Embodiment 1

FIGS. 1-22 are schematic views showing a method of making asemiconductor device that includes an interposer, chips, a heat spreaderand a balancing layer in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

As shown in FIG. 22, the semiconductor device 100 includes an interposer11′, first and second chips 13, 14, a balancing layer 12 and a heatspreader 21. The first and second chips 13, 14 are face-to-face mountedon both opposite sides of the interposer 11′ by flip chip process. Theinterposer 11′ provides fan-out routing for the first and second chips13, 14, and also provides electrical connections between the adjoiningfirst chips 13 and between the adjoining second chips 14. The interposer11′ and the first chips 13 are attached to the heat spreader 21 using athermally conductive material 191 and an adhesive 193, with the firstchips 13 embedded in cavities 211 of the heat spreader 21. The balancinglayer 12 laterally covers sidewalls of the interposer 11′ and laterallyextends to the peripheral edges of the semiconductor device.

FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 6 and 8 are cross-sectional views showing a process offabricating chip-on-interposer subassemblies in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2, 5, 7 and 9 are topperspective views corresponding to FIGS. 1, 4, 6 and 8, respectively.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional and top perspective views,respectively, of an interposer panel 11, which includes a first surface111, a second surface 113 opposite to the first surface 111, firstcontact pads 112 on the first surface 111, second contact pads 114 onthe second surface 113, and through vias 116 that electrically couplethe first contact pads 112 and the second contact pads 114. Theinterposer panel 11 can be a silicon, glass, ceramic or graphiteinterposer that has a thickness of 50 microns to 500 microns. In thisembodiment, the interposer panel 11 is a ceramic interposer of 200microns in thickness.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a first chip 13 with bumps 15mounted thereon. The first chip 13 includes an active surface 131, aninactive surface 133 opposite to the active surface 131, and I/O pads132 on the active surface 131. The bumps 15 are mounted on the I/O pads132 of the first chip 13 and may be solder, gold or copper pillars.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional and top perspective views,respectively, of the panel-scale assembly with multiple first chips 13electrically coupled to the interposer panel 11. The first chips 13 canbe electrically coupled to the first contact pads 112 of the interposerpanel 11 using the bumps 15 by thermal compression, solder reflow orthermosonic bonding. As an alternative, the bumps 15 may be firstdeposited on the first contact pads 112 of the interposer panel 11, andthen the first chips 13 are electrically coupled to the interposer panel11 by the bumps 15. Optionally, underfill 17 can be further provided tofill the gap between the interposer panel 11 and the first chips 13.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional and top perspective views,respectively, of the panel-scale assembly diced into individual pieces.The panel-scale assembly is singluated into individualchip-on-interposer subassembly 10 along dicing lines “L”.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are cross-sectional and top perspective views,respectively, of the individual chip-on-interposer subassembly 10. Inthis illustration, the chip-on-interposer subassembly 10 includes twofirst chips 13 electrically coupled on the diced interposer 11′.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are cross-sectional and bottom perspective views,respectively, of a heat spreader 21 having cavities 211. The heatspreader 21 can be provided by forming the cavities 211 in a metal plate214. The metal plate 214 can have a thickness of 0.1 mm to 10 mm, andmay be made of copper, aluminum, stainless steel or their alloys. Inthis embodiment, the metal plate 214 is a copper sheet with a thicknessof 2 mm. Each of the cavities 211 includes an entrance and can have adifferent size and cavity depth. The cavity depth can range from 0.05 mmto 1.0 mm. Herein, the depth of the cavity 211 is 0.21 mm (to house the0.15 mm chip with 0.05 mm conductive bump).

FIGS. 12 and 13 are cross-sectional and bottom perspective views,respectively, of the heat spreader 21 with a thermally conductivematerial 191 dispensed in the cavities 211. The thermally conductivematerial 191 typically is a thermally conductive adhesive and dispensedon the bottom of the cavities 211.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are cross-sectional and bottom perspective views,respectively, of the structure of the chip-on-interposer subassemblies10 attached to the heat spreader 21 using the thermally conductivematerial 191. The first chips 13 are inserted into the cavities 211, andthe interposers 11′ are located beyond the cavities 211 and spaced fromthe peripheral edges of the heat spreader 21.

FIGS. 16 and 17 are cross-sectional and bottom perspective views,respectively, of the structure with the adhesive 193 that fills thespace between the interposers 11′ and the heat spreader 21 and furtherextends into the cavities 211. The adhesive 193 typically is anelectrically insulating underfill and dispensed into the space betweenthe interposers 11′ and the heat spreader 21 and the remaining spaceswithin the cavities 211. As a result, the thermally conductive material191 provides mechanical bonds and thermal connection between the firstchips 13 and the heat spreader 21, and the adhesive 193 providesmechanical bonds between the first chips 13 and the heat spreader 21 andbetween the interposers 11′ and the heat spreader 21.

FIGS. 18 and 19 are cross-sectional and bottom perspective views,respectively, of the structure after removal of excess adhesive thatflows out of the space between the interposers 11′ and the heat spreader21. As an alternative, the step of removing excess adhesive may beomitted, and the excess adhesive may become a portion of the subsequentbalancing layer.

FIGS. 20 and 21 are cross-sectional and bottom perspective views,respectively, of the structure with a balancing layer 12laminated/coated on the heat spreader 21 in the downward direction. Thebalancing layer 12 contacts and extends from the heat spreader 21 in thedownward direction and laterally covers and surrounds and conformallycoats the sidewalls of the interposers 11′ and extends laterally fromthe interposers 11′ to the peripheral edges of the structure. In thisembodiment, the balancing layer 12 has a thickness of 0.2 mm which isclose to the thickness of the interposers 11′ and can be made of epoxyresin, glass-epoxy, polyimide, and the like. Also, the step ofdepositing the balancing layer 12 may be omitted.

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the structure provided with secondchips 14 electrically coupled to the interposer 11′. The second chip 14includes an active surface 141, an inactive surface 143 opposite to theactive surface 141, and I/O pads 142 on the active surface 141. Thesecond chips 14 are electrically coupled to the interposer 11′ usingbumps 16 that contacts the I/O pads 142 of the second chips 14 and thesecond contact pads 114 of the interposer 11′. Optionally, underfill 18can be further provided to fill the gap between the interposer 11′ andthe second chips 14.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 22, a semiconductor device 100 isaccomplished and includes an interposer 11′, first chips 13, secondchips 14, a heat spreader 21, and a balancing layer 12. The first chips13 are electrically coupled to the first contact pads 112 of thepre-fabricated interposer 11′ by flip chip process to form achip-on-interposer subassembly 10. The chip-on-interposer subassembly 10is attached to the heat spreader 21 using a thermally conductivematerial 191 and an adhesive 193 with the first chips 13 positionedwithin the cavities 211 and the interposer 11′ laterally extendingbeyond the cavities 211. The thermally conductive material 191 providesmechanical bonds and thermal connection between the first chips 13 andthe heat spreader 21, and the adhesive 193 provides mechanical bondsbetween the first chips 13 and the heat spreader 21 and between theinterposer 11′ and the heat spreader 21. The heat spreader 21 enclosesthe first chip1 13 within its cavities 211 and laterally extends to theperipheral edges of the device. The balancing layer 12 laterally coversthe sidewalls of the interposer 11′ and laterally extends to theperipheral edges of the device. The second chips 14 are electricallycoupled to the second contact pads 114 of the interposer 11′ by flipchip process and thus is further electrically connected to the firstchips 13 by the through vias 116 of the interposer 11′. As a result, theinterposer 11′ can provide fan-out routing/interconnection for the firstand second chips 13, 14, and also provide electrical connections betweenthe adjoining first chips 13 and between the adjoining second chips 14.

Embodiment 2

FIGS. 23-42 are schematic views showing a method of making anothersemiconductor device which further includes an alignment guide forinterposer attachment, an interconnect substrate for second levelrouting and a second heat spreader for heat dissipation of the secondchip in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

For purposes of brevity, any description in Embodiment 1 above isincorporated herein insofar as the same is applicable, and the samedescription need not be repeated.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of a first heat spreader 22 providedwith an alignment guide 31 around its cavity 221. The alignment guide 31can be formed by removing selected portions of a metal plate 224 or bypattern deposition of a metal or plastic material on the metal plate224. Plating, etching or mechanical carving is typically used to formthe alignment guide 31. Accordingly, the alignment guide 31 extends fromthe flat surface 222 of the first heat spreader 22 adjacent to thecavity entrance in the downward direction and can have a thickness of 5to 200 microns. In this embodiment, the alignment guide 31 with athickness of 50 microns laterally extends to the peripheral edges of thefirst heat spreader 22 and has inner peripheral edges that conform tothe four lateral sides of a subsequently disposed interposer. As analternative, the alignment guide 31 may be spaced from the peripheraledges of the first heat spreader 22. For instance, FIG. 24 shows anotheraspect of the alignment guide 31 which is spaced from the peripheraledges of the first heat spreader 22 and has rectangular frameconfiguration.

Also, the first heat spreader 22 with an alignment guide 31 around itscavity 221 may be fabricated from a laminate substrate. FIGS. 25-30illustrate a detailed description of this aspect.

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of a laminate substrate that includesa metal plate 224, a dielectric layer 225 and a metal layer 226. Thedielectric layer 225 is sandwiched between the metal plate 224 and themetal layer 226. The dielectric layer 225 typically is made of epoxyresin, glass-epoxy, polyimide, and the like, and has a thickness of 50microns. The metal layer 226 typically is made of copper, but copperalloys or other materials (such as aluminum, stainless steel or theiralloys) may also be used. The thickness of the metal layer 226 can rangefrom 5 to 200 microns. In this embodiment, the metal layer 226 is acopper plate with a thickness of 50 microns.

FIGS. 26 and 27 are cross-sectional and bottom perspective views,respectively, of the structure with an alignment guide 31 formed on thedielectric layer 225. The alignment guide 31 can be formed by removingselected portions of the metal layer 226 using photolithography and wetetching. As shown in FIG. 27, the alignment guide 31 consists of pluralmetal posts in a rectangular frame array conforming to four lateralsides of a subsequently disposed interposer. However, the alignmentguide patterns are not limited thereto and can be in other variouspatterns against undesirable movement of the subsequently disposedinterposer. For instance, the alignment guide 31 may consist of acontinuous or discontinuous strip and conform to four sides, twodiagonal corners or four corners of a subsequently disposed interposer.

FIGS. 28 and 29 are cross-sectional views showing an alternative processof forming an alignment guide on a dielectric layer of a laminatesubstrate.

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of a laminate substrate with a set ofopenings 227. The laminate substrate includes a metal plate 224, adielectric layer 225 and a metal layer 226 as mentioned above, and theopenings 227 are formed by removing selected portions of the metal layer226.

FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with the alignmentguide 31 formed on the dielectric layer 225. The alignment guide 31 canbe formed by dispensing or printing a photosensitive plastic material(e.g., epoxy, polyimide, etc.) or non-photosensitive material into theopenings 227, followed by removing the entire metal layer 226.Accordingly, the alignment guide 31 consists of plural resin posts andhas a pattern against undesirable movement of a subsequently disposedinterposer.

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with a cavity 221formed in the laminate substrate. The cavity 221 extends through thedielectric layer 225 and further extends into the metal plate 224. As aresult, the first heat spreader 22 is formed to include a metal plate224, a dielectric layer 225 and a cavity 221, and the alignment guide 31is positioned around the entrance of the cavity 221.

Additionally, the alignment guide may be formed within the cavity of thefirst heat spreader by another process as illustrated in FIGS. 31 and32.

FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with an alignmentguide 31 formed on a metal plate 224 which typically is a copper sheetwith a thickness of 1 mm. The alignment guide 31 can be formed byremoving selected portions of the metal plate 224 or by patterndeposition of a metal or plastic material on the metal plate 224. Inthis embodiment, the alignment guide 31 consists of plural metal postsin a rectangular frame arrangement conforming to four sides of asubsequently disposed chip. However, the alignment guide patterns arenot limited thereto and can be in other various patterns againstundesirable movement of the subsequently disposed chip.

FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view of the structure provided with a baselayer 228. The base layer 228 is laminated onto the metal plate 224 withthe alignment guide 31 aligned with and inserted into an aperture 229 ofthe base layer 228. The base layer 228 can be made of epoxy, BT,polyimide and other kinds of resin or resin/glass composite. As aresult, the first heat spreader 22 is formed to include a metal plate224, a base layer 228 and a cavity 221 (corresponding to the aperture229 of the base layer 228), and the alignment guide 31 is located on thebottom of the cavity 221.

Hereafter, the first heat spreader 22 shown in FIG. 23 is used fordetailed description of the following steps. However, it is apparentthat other aspects of the first heat spreader mentioned above also maybe practiced or applied in the following steps.

FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view of the first heat spreader 22 with athermally conductive material 191 dispensed in the cavity 221. Thethermally conductive material 191 typically is a thermally conductiveadhesive and dispensed on the cavity bottoms.

FIG. 34 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with achip-on-interposer subassembly 10 attached to the first heat spreader 22using the thermally conductive material 191. The chip-on-interposersubassembly 10 is similar to that illustrated in FIG. 8, except that asingle first chip 13 is flip mounted on the interposer 11′ in thisillustration. The interposer 11′ and the first chip 13 are attached tothe first heat spreader 22 with the first chip 13 inserted into thecavity 221 and the alignment guide 31 laterally aligned with and inclose proximity to the peripheral edges of the interposer 11′. Theinterposer placement accuracy is provided by the alignment guide 31. Thealignment guide 31 extends beyond the first surface 111 of theinterposer 11′ in the downward direction and is located beyond andlaterally aligned with the four lateral surfaces of the interposer 11′in the lateral directions. As the alignment guide 31 is in closeproximity to and conforms to the four lateral surfaces of the interposer11′ in lateral directions, any undesirable movement of thechip-on-interposer subassembly 10 due to adhesive curing can be avoided.Preferably, a gap in between the interposer 11′ and the alignment guide31 is in a range of about 5 to 50 microns. Also, the attachment of thechip-on-interposer subassembly 10 may be executed without the alignmentguide 31.

FIG. 35 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with an adhesive 193that fills the space between the interposer 11′ and the first heatspreader 22 and further extends into the cavity 221. The adhesive 193typically is an electrically insulating underfill and dispensed into thespace between the interposer 11′ and the first heat spreader 22 and theremaining space within the cavity 221.

FIG. 36 is a cross-sectional view of the structure after removal ofexcess adhesive that overflows onto the alignment guide 31. As analternative, the step of removing excess adhesive may be omitted, andthe excess adhesive becomes a portion of the subsequent balancing layer.

As another aspect, FIG. 37 shows a cross-sectional view of the structurewith the chip-on-interposer subassembly 10 attached to the first heatspreader 22 illustrated in FIG. 32 using a thermally conductive material194. The first chip 13 is positioned within the cavity 221 with thealignment guide 31 laterally aligned with peripheral edges of the firstchip 13, and the interposer 11′ is located beyond the cavity 221 withits first surface 111 attached on the base layer 228. The first chip 13is attached to the first heat spreader 22 by dispensing the thermallyconductive material 194 on the cavity bottoms, and then inserting thefirst chip 13 of the chip-on-interposer subassembly 10 into the cavity221. The thermally conductive material 194 (typically a thermallyconductive but electrically insulating adhesive) within the cavity 221is compressed by the first chip 13, flows downward into the gaps betweenthe first chip 13 and the cavity sidewalls, and overflows onto the baselayer 228. As a result, the thermally conductive material 194 surroundsthe embedded first chip 13, and the squeezed out portion contacts and issandwiched between the first surface 111 of the interposer 11′ and thebase layer 228. The alignment guide 31 extends from the bottom of thecavity 221 and extends beyond the inactive surface 133 of the first chip13 in the downward direction and is in close proximity to the peripheraledges of the first chip 13 to provide critical placement accuracy forthe chip-on-interposer subassembly 10.

FIG. 38 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with a balancinglayer 12 laminated/coated on the alignment guide 31. The balancing layer12 contacts and extends from the alignment guide 31 in the downwarddirection and laterally covers and surrounds and conformally coats thesidewalls of the interposer 11′ and extends laterally from theinterposer 11′ to the peripheral edges of the structure. As a result,the balancing layer 12 has a first surface 121 in contact with thealignment guide 31 and the adhesive 193 and a second surface 123 flushwith the second surface 113 of the interposer 11′.

FIG. 39 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with a second chip 14mounted on the second surface 113 of the interposer 11′ using bumps 16.The second chip 14 includes an active surface 141, an inactive surface143 opposite to the active surface 141, and I/O pads 142 on the activesurface 141. The bumps 16 contact the I/O pads 142 of the second chip 14and the second contact pads 114 of the interposer 11′. As a result, thesecond chip 14 is electrically coupled to the second contact pads 114 ofthe interposer 11′ by the bumps 16 and is further electrically connectedto the first chip 13 by the through vias 116 of the interposer 11′.Optionally, underfill 18 can be further provided to fill the gap betweenthe interposer 11′ and the second chip 14.

FIG. 40 is a cross-sectional view of an interconnect substrate 40 havinga through opening 401. The interconnect substrate 40 includes a corelayer 41, top and bottom buildup circuitries 43, 45, plated throughholes 47 and solder mask layers 48. The top and bottom buildupcircuitries 43, 45 are respectively disposed on both sides of the corelayer 41, and each of them includes an insulating layer 431, 451 andconductive traces 433, 453. The insulating layers 431, 451 respectivelycover both sides of the core layer 41 in the upward and downwarddirections, and the conductive traces 433, 453 respectively extendlaterally on the insulating layers 431, 451 and extend through viaopenings 432, 452 in the insulating layers 431, 451 to form conductivevias 434, 454 in contact with top and bottom patterned wiring layers411, 413 of the core layer 41. The plated through holes 47 extendthrough the core layer 41 to provide electrical connections between thetop and bottom buildup circuitries 43, 45. The solder mask layers 48covers the top and bottom buildup circuitries 43, 45 in the upward anddownward direction, and include solder mask openings 481 to exposeselected portions of the conductive traces 433, 453. The through opening401 extends through the interconnect substrate 40 and has a dimensionthat is almost the same or a little larger than the second chip 14.

FIG. 41 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with the interconnectsubstrate 40 electrically coupled to the interposer 11′. The second chip14 is inserted into the through opening 401 of the interconnectsubstrate 40, and the interconnect substrate 40 is electrically coupledto the interposer 11′ by solder balls 51 that contact the second contactpads 114 of the interposer 11′ and the top buildup circuitry 43 of theinterconnect substrate 40. Optionally, underfill 53 can be furtherprovided to fill the gap between the interposer 11′ and the interconnectsubstrate 40 and between the balancing layer 12 and the interconnectsubstrate 40.

FIG. 42 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with a second heatspreader 23 attached to the second chip 14. The second heat spreader 23is mounted on the inactive surface 143 of the second chip 14 using athermally conductive material 196 (typically a thermally conductiveadhesive). The second heat spreader 23 can be made of copper, aluminum,stainless steel or their alloys. In this embodiment, the second heatspreader 23 is a copper sheet with a thickness of 1 mm.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 42, a semiconductor device 200 isaccomplished and includes an interposer 11′, a first chip 13, a secondchip 14, a balancing layer 12, a first heat spreader 22, a second heatspreader 23, an alignment guide 31 and an interconnect substrate 40. Thefirst chip 13 is electrically coupled to first contact pads 112 of thepre-fabricated interposer 11′ by flip chip process to form achip-on-interposer subassembly 10. The chip-on-interposer subassembly 10is attached to the first heat spreader 22 using a thermally conductivematerial 191 and an adhesive 193 with the first chip 13 positionedwithin the cavity 221 and the interposer 11′ laterally extending beyondthe cavity 221. The thermally conductive material 191 providesmechanical bonds and thermal connection between the first chip 13 andthe first heat spreader 22, and the adhesive 193 provides mechanicalbonds between the first chip 13 and the first heat spreader 22 andbetween the interposer 11′ and the first heat spreader 22. The firstheat spreader 22 encloses the first chip 13 within its cavity 221 andlaterally extends to the peripheral edges of the device. The alignmentguide 31 extends from the first heat spreader 22 and extends beyond thefirst surface 111 of the interposer 11′ in the downward direction and isin close proximity to the peripheral edges of the interposer 11′ toprovide critical placement accuracy for the interposer 11′. The secondchip 14 is electrically coupled to second contact pads 114 of theinterposer 11′ by flip chip process and thus is electrically connectedto the first chip 13 by the through vias 116 of the interposer 11′. Thebalancing layer 12 laterally covers the sidewalls of the interposer 11′and laterally extends to the peripheral edges of the device, and thesecond surface 123 of the balancing layer 12 is essentially coplanarwith the second surface 113 of the interposer 11′. The interconnectsubstrate 40 is electrically coupled to the second contact pads 114 ofthe interposer 11′ by solder balls 51 to provide second level routing.The second heat spreader 23 is attached on the second chip 14 using athermally conductive material 196 so as to dissipate heat from thesecond chip 14.

Embodiment 3

FIGS. 43-50 are schematic views showing a method of making yet anothersemiconductor device in which the second chip is enclosed in a cavity ofa second heat spreader that laterally extends to the peripheral edges ofthe device in accordance with yet another embodiment of the presentinvention.

For purposes of brevity, any description in the aforementionedEmbodiments is incorporated herein insofar as the same is applicable,and the same description need not be repeated.

FIG. 43 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with achip-on-interposer subassembly 10 attached to the first heat spreader 22of FIG. 24 using a thermally conductive material 191. The interposer 11′and the first chip 13 are attached to the first heat spreader 22 withthe first chip 13 inserted into the cavity 221 and the alignment guide31 laterally aligned with and in close proximity to the peripheral edgesof the interposer 11′. The thermally conductive material 191 contactsthe cavity bottoms and the first chip 13, thereby providing mechanicalbonds and thermal connection between the first chip 13 and the firstheat spreader 22. The alignment guide 31 extends beyond the firstsurface 111 of the interposer 11′ in the downward direction and is inclose proximity to the peripheral edges of the interposer 11′ to providecritical placement accuracy for the interposer 11′.

FIG. 44 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with an adhesive 193that fills the space between the interposer 11′ and the first heatspreader 22 and further extends into the cavity 221. The adhesive 193typically is an electrically insulating underfill and dispensed into thespace between the interposer 11′ and the first heat spreader 22 and theremaining space within the cavity 221.

FIG. 45 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with a balancinglayer 12 laminated/coated on the first heat spreader 22 and thealignment guide 31. The balancing layer 12 contacts and extends from thefirst heat spreader 22 and the alignment guide 31 in the downwarddirection, laterally covers and surrounds and conformally coats thesidewalls of the interposer 11′ and extends laterally from theinterposer 11′ to the peripheral edges of the structure. As a result,the balancing layer 12 has a first surface 121 in contact with the firstheat spreader 22 and a second surface 123 flush with the second surface113 of the interposer 11′.

FIG. 46 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with a second chip 14mounted on the second surface 113 of the interposer 11′. The second chip14 is electrically coupled to the second contact pads 114 of theinterposer 11′ using bumps 16. Optionally, underfill 18 can be furtherprovided to fill the gap between the interposer 11′ and the second chip14. FIG. 47 shows a cross-sectional view of the structure with a secondheat spreader 23 that includes a cavity 231 and covers the second chip14, the interposer 11′ and the balancing layer 12 from below. The secondheat spreader 23 is attached to the second surface 113 of the interposer11′ and the second surface 123 of the balancing layer 12 by dispensingthe thermally conductive material 196 on the cavity bottoms of thesecond heat spreader 23, and then inserting the second chip 14 into thecavity 231. The thermally conductive material 196 (typically a thermallyconductive but electrically insulating adhesive) within the cavity 231is compressed by the second chip 14, flows upward into the gaps betweenthe second chip 14 and the cavity sidewalls, and overflows onto theinterposer 11′ and the balancing layer 12. As a result, the thermallyconductive material 196 surrounds the embedded second chip 14, and thesqueezed out portion contacts and is sandwiched between the secondsurface 113 of the interposer 11′ and the second heat spreader 23 andbetween the second surface 123 of the balancing layer 12 and the secondheat spreader 23.

FIG. 48 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with the first heatspreader 22 spaced from the peripheral edges of the structure byselectively removing portions of the first heat spreader 22 usingphotolithography and wet etching. The remaining portion of the firstheat spreader 22 covers and encloses the first chip 13 within the cavity221 from above.

FIG. 49 is a cross-sectional view of the structure after removal of theadhesive 193 beyond the peripheral edges of the remaining portion of thefirst heat spreader 22 and above the first contact pads 112 of theinterposer 11′. The adhesive 193 is removed from the first contact pads112 of the interposer 11′ so as to expose the first contact pads 112 onthe first surface 111 of the interposer 11′ from above.

FIG. 50 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with an interconnectsubstrate 40 electrically coupled to the interposer 11′. The remainingportion of the first heat spreader 22 is inserted into a through opening401 of the interconnect substrate 40, and the interconnect substrate 40is electrically coupled to the interposer 11′ by solder balls 51 thatcontact the first contact pads 112 of the interposer 11′ and the bottombuildup circuitry 45 of the interconnect substrate 40.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 50, a semiconductor device 300 isaccomplished and includes an interposer 11′, a first chip 13, a secondchip 14, a balancing layer 12, a first heat spreader 22, a second heatspreader 23, an alignment guide 31 and an interconnect substrate 40. Thefirst chip 13 is electrically coupled to first contact pads 112 of thepre-fabricated interposer 11′ by flip chip process to form achip-on-interposer subassembly 10. The chip-on-interposer subassembly 10is attached to the first heat spreader 22 using a thermally conductivematerial 191 and an adhesive 193 with the first chip 13 positionedwithin the cavity 221 and the interposer 11′ laterally extending beyondthe cavity 221. The thermally conductive material 191 providesmechanical bonds and thermal connection between the first chip 13 andthe first heat spreader 22, and the adhesive 193 provides mechanicalbonds between the first chip 13 and the first heat spreader 22 andbetween the interposer 11′ and the first heat spreader 22. The firstheat spreader 22 encloses the first chip 13 within its cavity 221 and isspaced from the peripheral edges of the device. The alignment guide 31is essentially coplanar with the first surface 121 of the balancinglayer 12 in the upward direction and extends beyond the first surface111 of the interposer 11′ in the downward direction and is in closeproximity to the peripheral edges of the interposer 11′ to providecritical placement accuracy for the interposer 11′. The second chip 14is electrically coupled to the second contact pads 114 of the interposer11′ by flip chip process and is further electrically connected to thefirst chip 13 by the through vias 116 of the interposer 11′. Thebalancing layer 12 laterally covers the sidewalls of the interposer 11′and laterally extends to the peripheral edges of the device and isessentially coplanar with the alignment guide 31 in the upward directionand with the interposer 11′ in the downward direction. The second heatspreader 23 laterally extends to the peripheral edges of the device andis attached to the second chip 14, the interposer 11′ and the balancinglayer 12 using a thermally conductive material 196 with the second chip14 positioned within its cavity 231. The thermally conductive material196 provides mechanical bonds and thermal connection between the secondchip 14 and the second heat spreader 23 and between the interposer 11′and the second heat spreader 23 and between the balancing layer 12 andthe second heat spreader 23. The interconnect substrate 40 iselectrically coupled to the first contact pads 112 of the interposer 11′by solder balls 51 to provide second level routing.

Embodiment 4

FIGS. 51-54 are schematic views showing a method of making yet anothersemiconductor device in which the second chip is enclosed in a cavity ofa second heat spreader that is spaced from the peripheral edges of thedevice in accordance with yet another embodiment of the presentinvention.

For purposes of brevity, any description in the aforementionedEmbodiments is incorporated herein insofar as the same is applicable,and the same description need not be repeated.

FIG. 51 is a cross-sectional view of the structure that is manufacturedby the steps shown in FIGS. 43-47.

FIG. 52 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with the second heatspreader 23 spaced from the peripheral edges of the structure byselectively removing portions of the second heat spreader 23 usingphotolithography and wet etching. The remaining portion of the secondheat spreader 23 covers and encloses the second chip 14 within thecavity 231 from below.

FIG. 53 is a cross-sectional view of the structure after removal of thethermally conductive material 196 beyond the peripheral edges of theremaining portion of the second heat spreader 23 and below the secondcontact pads 114 of the interposer 11′. The thermally conductivematerial 196 is removed from the second contact pads 114 of theinterposer 11′ so as to expose the second contact pads 114 on the secondsurface 113 of the interposer 11′ from below.

FIG. 54 is a cross-sectional view of the structure with an interconnectsubstrate 40 electrically coupled to the interposer 11′. The remainingportion of the second heat spreader 23 is inserted into a throughopening 401 of the interconnect substrate 40, and the interconnectsubstrate 40 is electrically coupled to the interposer 11′ by solderballs 51 that contact the second contact pads 114 of the interposer 11′and the top buildup circuitry 43 of the interconnect substrate 40.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 54, a semiconductor device 400 isaccomplished and includes an interposer 11′, a first chip 13, a secondchip 14, a balancing layer 12, a first heat spreader 22, a second heatspreader 23, an alignment guide 31 and an interconnect substrate 40. Thefirst chip 13 is electrically coupled to the first contact pads 112 ofthe pre-fabricated interposer 11′ by flip chip process to form achip-on-interposer subassembly 10. The chip-on-interposer subassembly 10is attached to the first heat spreader 22 using a thermally conductivematerial 19 and an adhesive 193 with the first chip 13 positioned withinthe cavity 221 and the interposer 11′ laterally extending beyond thecavity 221. The thermally conductive material 191 provides mechanicalbonds and thermal connection between the first chip 13 and the firstheat spreader 22, and the adhesive 193 provides mechanical bonds betweenthe first chip 13 and the first heat spreader 22 and between theinterposer 11′ and the first heat spreader 22. The first heat spreader22 encloses the first chip 13 within its cavity 221 and laterallyextends to the peripheral edges of the device. The alignment guide 31 isessentially coplanar with the first surface 121 of the balancing layer12 in the upward direction and extends beyond the first surface 111 ofthe interposer 11′ in the downward direction and is in close proximityto the peripheral edges of the interposer 11′ to provide criticalplacement accuracy for the interposer 11′. The second chip 14 iselectrically coupled to the second contact pads 114 of the interposer11′ by flip chip process and is further electrically connected to thefirst chip 13 by the through vias 116 of the interposer 11′. Thebalancing layer 12 laterally covers the sidewalls of the interposer 11′and laterally extends to the peripheral edges of the device and isessentially coplanar with the alignment guide 31 in the upward directionand with the interposer 11′ in the downward direction. The second heatspreader 23 is spaced from the peripheral edges of the device andencloses the second chip 14 within its cavity 231 using a thermallyconductive material 196 that provides mechanical bonds and thermalconnection between the second chip 14 and the second heat spreader 23.The interconnect substrate 40 is electrically coupled to the secondcontact pads 114 of the interposer 11′ by solder balls 51 to providesecond level routing.

The semiconductor devices described above are merely exemplary. Numerousother embodiments are contemplated. In addition, the embodimentsdescribed above can be mixed-and-matched with one another and with otherembodiments depending on design and reliability considerations. The chipcan share or not share the cavity with other chips. For instance, acavity can accommodate a single chip, and the heat spreader can includemultiple cavities arranged in an array for multiple chips.Alternatively, numerous chips can be positioned within a single cavity.Likewise, a chip can share or not share the interposer with other chips.For instance, a single chip can be electrically connected to theinterposer. Alternatively, numerous chips may be coupled to theinterposer. For instance, four small chips in a 2×2 array can be coupledto the interposer and the interposer can include additional contact padsto receive and route additional chip pads.

As illustrated in the aforementioned embodiments, a distinctivesemiconductor device with face-to-face chips on interposer is configuredto exhibit improved thermal performance and reliability. In a preferredembodiment, the semiconductor device includes a first chip, a secondchip, an interposer and a first heat spreader, wherein (i) theinterposer includes a first surface, an opposite second surface, firstcontact pads on the first surface, second contact pads on the secondsurface, and through vias that electrically couple the first contactpads and the second contact pads; (ii) the first and second chips areelectrically coupled to the first and second contact pads of theinterposer by bumps, respectively; and (iii) the first heat spreader hasa cavity and is attached to the first chip using a thermally conductivematerial with the first chip positioned within the cavity and the firstsurface of the interposer attached to a flat surface of the first heatspreader that is adjacent to and laterally extends from the cavityentrance.

Further, the semiconductor device according to a preferred embodimentmay further include a balancing layer, a second heat spreader and aninterconnect substrate, wherein (i) the balancing layer covers sidewallsof the interposer; (ii) the second heat spreader is attached on thesecond chip, or attached to the second chip using a thermally conductivematerial with the second chip inserted into a cavity of the second heatspreader and the interposer laterally extending beyond the cavity of thesecond heat spreader; and (iii) the interconnect substrate has a throughopening and is electrically coupled to the interposer with the first orsecond chip positioned within the through opening.

The first and second chips are face-to-face mounted on opposite sides ofthe interposer and electrically coupled to the first and second contactpads of the interposer by bumps, respectively. The first and secondchips can be a packaged or unpackaged chip. Furthermore, the first andsecond chips can be a bare chip, or a wafer level packaged die, etc.

The first heat spreader can laterally extend beyond the peripheral edgesof the interposer and further extend to the peripheral edges of thedevice to provide mechanical support for the device. Alternatively, thefirst heat spreader may be selectively removed and be spaced from theperipheral edges of the device after the second heat spreader isattached on the second surface of the interposer and the second surfaceof the optional balancing layer. As a result, the interposer laterallycan extend beyond the peripheral edges of a remaining portion of thefirst heat spreader enclosing the first chip within the cavity to exposeadditional first contact pads on its first surface. For this aspect ofthe interposer laterally extending beyond the peripheral edges of thefirst heat spreader, the second heat spreader preferably extends to theperipheral edges of the device with the second surface of the interposerand the second surface of the optional balancing layer attached to aflat surface of the second heat spreader that is adjacent to the cavityentrance. As another aspect, the second heat spreader may be selectivelyremoved and be spaced from the peripheral edges of the device after thefirst heat spreader is attached on the first surface of the interposerand the first surface of the optional balancing layer. Accordingly, theinterposer laterally extends beyond the peripheral edges of a remainingportion of the second heat spreader enclosing the second chip within thecavity to expose additional second contact pads on its second surface.In the aspect of the interposer laterally extending beyond theperipheral edges of the second heat spreader, the first heat spreaderpreferably extends to the peripheral edges of the device.

The first and second heat spreaders each typically include a metal plateto provide essential thermal dissipation and electromagnetic shieldingfor the embedded chip. The metal plate can have a thickness of 0.1 mm to10 mm. The material of the metal plate can include copper, aluminum,stainless steel or their alloys. Further, the first and second heatspreaders can be a single-layer structure or multi-layer structure, andpreferably include a cavity extending into the metal plate. Forinstance, the first and second heat spreaders may be a metal platehaving a cavity formed therein and a flat surface that laterally extendsfrom the cavity entrance. Accordingly, the metallic bottom and themetallic sidewalls of the cavity can provide thermal contact surfacesand vertical and horizontal electromagnetic shielding for the embeddedchip. In accordance with another aspect of the first heat spreader, thefirst heat spreader may be a laminate substrate including a metal plateand a dielectric layer on the metal plate, and has a cavity that extendsthrough the dielectric layer and extends into the metal plate.Alternatively, the first heat spreader may include a metal plate and abase layer with an aperture, and has a cavity that is defined by theaperture of the base layer on the metal plate. The material of the baselayer can be epoxy, BT, polyimide or other kind of resin or resin/glasscomposite. As such, the heat from the first chip is dissipated throughthe metallic bottom of the cavity.

Moreover, an alignment guide may be formed beyond or within the cavityof the first heat spreader for the interposer attachment. Accordingly,the placement accuracy of the chip-on-interposer subassembly can beprovided by the alignment guide positioned around the first surface ofthe interposer or the inactive surface of the first chip. For the aspectof the alignment guide positioned beyond the cavity of the first heatspreader, the alignment guide extends from a flat surface of the firstheat spreader adjacent to the cavity entrance and extends beyond thefirst surface of the interposer in the second vertical direction. Forthe convenience of description, the direction in which the first surfaceof the interposer faces is defined as the first vertical direction, andthe direction in which the second surface of the interposer faces isdefined as the second vertical direction. As for another aspect of thealignment guide positioned within the cavity of the first heat spreader,the alignment guide extends from the cavity bottom and extends beyondthe inactive surface of the flip chip in the second vertical direction.As such, the interposer placement accuracy can be provided by thealignment guide that is laterally aligned with and in close proximity tothe peripheral edges of the interposer or the first chip.

The alignment guide can be formed around the cavity entrance of thefirst heat spreader by the steps of: providing a metal plate; forming acavity in the metal plate; and forming an alignment guide around theentrance of the cavity by removing a selected portion of the metal plateor by pattern deposition of a metal or a plastic material on the metalplate to form the alignment guide. Accordingly, the heat spreader is ametal plate having a cavity formed therein, and the alignment guideextends from a flat surface of the first heat spreader adjacent to thecavity entrance in the second vertical direction. Also, the alignmentguide may be formed around the cavity entrance of the first heatspreader by the steps of: providing a laminate substrate that includes adielectric layer and a metal plate; forming an alignment guide on thedielectric layer by removing a selected portion of a metal layer on thedielectric layer or by pattern deposition of a metal or a plasticmaterial on the dielectric layer to form the alignment guide; andforming a cavity that extends through the dielectric layer and extendsinto the metal plate. As a result, the first heat spreader is a laminatesubstrate including a metal plate and a dielectric layer, and thealignment guide extends from the dielectric layer of the first heatspreader in the second vertical direction and is positioned around thecavity entrance. For the aspect of the alignment guide positioned withinthe cavity of the first heat spreader, it can be achieved by the stepsof: providing a metal plate; forming the alignment guide at a surface ofthe metal plate by removing a selected portion of the metal plate or bypattern deposition of a metal or a plastic material on the metal plate;and providing a base layer on the metal plate with the alignment guidelocated within an aperture of the base layer. As such, the first heatspreader includes the metal plate and the base layer, and the alignmentguide extends from the metal plate of the first heat spreader in thesecond vertical direction at its cavity bottom.

The alignment guide can be made of a metal, a photosensitive plasticmaterial or non-photosensitive material. For instance, the alignmentguide can consist essentially of copper, aluminum, nickel, iron, tin ortheir alloys. The alignment guide can also include or consist of epoxyor polyimide. Further, the alignment guide can have various patternsagainst undesirable movement of the interposer or the first chip. Forinstance, the alignment guide can include a continuous or discontinuousstrip or an array of posts. Alternatively, the alignment guide maylaterally extend to the peripheral edges of the device and have innerperipheral edges that conform to the peripheral edges of the interposer.Specifically, the alignment guide can be laterally aligned with fourlateral surfaces of the interposer or the first chip to define an areawith the same or similar topography as the interposer or the first chipand prevent the lateral displacement of the interposer or the firstchip. For instance, the alignment guide can be aligned along and conformto four sides, two diagonal corners or four corners of the interposer orthe first chip, and the gaps in between the interposer and the alignmentguide or between the first chip and the alignment guide preferably is ina range of about 5 to 50 microns. As a result, the alignment guidelocated beyond the interposer or the first chip can provide placementaccuracy for the chip-on-interposer subassembly. Besides, the alignmentguide preferably has a height in a range of 5-200 microns.

The cavity of the first and second heat spreaders can have a largerdiameter or dimension at its entrance than at its bottom and a depth of0.05 mm to 1.0 mm. For instance, the cavity can have a cut-off conicalor pyramidal shape in which its diameter or dimension increases as itextends from its bottom to its entrance. Alternatively, the cavity canhave a cylindrical shape with a constant diameter. The cavity can alsohave a circular, square or rectangular periphery at its entrance and itsbottom.

The attachment of the chip-on-interposer subassembly to the first heatspreader can be implemented by a thermally conductive material (such asthermally conductive adhesive) that is first dispensed on the cavitybottom and then squeezed partially out of the cavity when inserting thefirst chip into the cavity of the first heat spreader. The thermallyconductive material can contact and surround the embedded first chipwithin the cavity of the first heat spreader. The squeezed out portioncan contact and be sandwiched between the first surface of theinterposer and the flat surface of the first heat spreader thatlaterally extends from the cavity entrance. Alternatively, a thermallyconductive material (such as thermally conductive adhesive) can bedispensed on the cavity bottom and be contained within the cavity wheninserting the first chip into the cavity. A second adhesive (typicallyan electrically insulating underfill) can then be dispensed and filledinto the remaining space within the cavity and extends to the spacebetween the first surface of the interposer and the flat surface of thefirst heat spreader that laterally extends from the cavity entrance.Accordingly, the thermally conductive material provides mechanical bondsand thermal connection between the first chip and the first heatspreader while the adhesive provides mechanical bonds between theinterposer and the first heat spreader. Likewise, the aforementionedprocedure also can be applied in the attachment of the second heatspreader to the second surface of the interposer and the second surfaceof the optional balancing layer. Therefore, the attachment of the secondheat spreader can be achieved by a thermally conductive material thatfills the cavity of the second heat spreader and the space between thesecond surface of the interposer and the second heat spreader andbetween the second surface of the balancing layer and the second heatspreader.

The interposer laterally extends beyond the cavity of the first heatspreader and can be attached to the flat surface of the first heatspreader adjacent to the cavity entrance with its first surface facingthe first heat spreader. Likewise, in the aspect of the second chippositioned within the cavity of the second heat spreader, the interposerlaterally extends beyond the cavity of the second heat spreader and isattached to the flat surface of the second heat spreader adjacent to thecavity entrance with its second surface facing the second heat spreader.The interposer can be a silicon, glass, ceramic or graphite materialwith a thickness of 50 to 500 microns, and can provide fan-out routingfor the first and second chips disposed on its opposite sides.Additionally, as the interposer is typically made of a high elasticitymodulus material with CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) closelymatching that of the chip (for example, 3 to 10 ppm per degreeCentigrade), internal stresses in chip and its electricalinterconnection caused by CTE mismatch can be largely compensated orreduced.

The balancing layer can be deposited on the first heat spreader or thealignment guide after the step of attaching the chip-on-interposer tothe first heat spreader. As a result, the balancing layer can have afirst surface in contact with the first heat spreader or the alignmentguide and an opposite second surface substantially coplanar with thesecond surface of the interposer. In any case, the balancing layerpreferably laterally covers and surrounds and conformally coats thesidewalls of the interposer and extends laterally from the interposer tothe peripheral edges of the device. The material of the balancing layercan be epoxy, BT, polyimide and other kinds of resin or resin/glasscomposite.

The interconnect substrate can be electrically coupled to additionalfirst or second contact pads of the interposer after the step ofproviding the balancing layer. The interconnect substrate is not limitedto a particular structure, and for instance, may include a core layer,top and bottom buildup circuitries and plated through holes. The top andbottom buildup circuitries are disposed on both opposite sides of thecore layer. The plated through holes extend through the core layer andprovide electrical connections between the top and bottom buildupcircuitries. Each of the top and bottom buildup circuitries typicallyincludes an insulating layer and one or more conductive traces. Theinsulating layers of the top and bottom buildup circuitries arerespectively deposited on opposite sides of the core layer. Theconductive traces extend laterally on the insulating layer and extendthrough via openings in the insulating layer to form conductive vias incontact with top and bottom patterned wiring layers of the core layer.Further, the top and bottom buildup circuitries can include additionalinsulating layers, additional via openings, and additional conductivetraces if needed for further signal routing. The outmost conductivetraces of the top and bottom buildup circuitries can respectivelyaccommodate conductive joints, such as solder balls, for electricalcommunication and mechanical attachment with for an assembly orelectronic device. Accordingly, the interconnect substrate can beattached to the interposer by solder balls, not by direct build-upprocess, to provide secondary fan-out routing/interconnection. Further,the interconnect substrate preferably has a through opening toaccommodate the first or second chip within the through opening. Forinstance, in the aspect of the interposer extending beyond theperipheral edges of the first heat spreader, the interconnect substratecan be electrically coupled to the first contact pads of the interposerwith the first heat spreader as well as the first chip positioned withinthe through opening of the interconnect substrate. As for the aspect ofthe interposer extending beyond the peripheral edges of the second heatspreader, the interconnect substrate can be electrically coupled to thesecond contact pads of the interposer with the second heat spreader aswell as the second chip positioned within the through opening of theinterconnect substrate.

The term “cover” refers to incomplete or complete coverage in a verticaland/or lateral direction. For instance, in the position that the cavityof the first heat spreader faces the downward direction, the first heatspreader covers the first chip in the upward direction regardless ofwhether another element such as the thermally conductive material isbetween the first heat spreader and the first chip.

The phrase “aligned with” refers to relative position between elementsregardless of whether elements are spaced from or adjacent to oneanother or one element is inserted into and extends into the otherelement. For instance, the alignment guide is laterally aligned with theinterposer since an imaginary horizontal line intersects the alignmentguide and the interposer, regardless of whether another element isbetween the alignment guide and the interposer and is intersected by theline, and regardless of whether another imaginary horizontal lineintersects the interposer but not the alignment guide or intersects thealignment guide but not the interposer.

The phrase “in close proximity to” refers to a gap between elements notbeing wider than a maximum acceptable limit. As known in the art, whenthe gap between the alignment guide and the interposer is not narrowenough, the location error of the interposer due to the lateraldisplacement of the interposer within the gap may exceed the maximumacceptable error limit. In some cases, once the location error of theinterposer goes beyond the maximum limit, it may cause difficulty insubsequent procedures for interconnecting chips to the interposer.According to the pad size of the interposer, those skilled in the artcan ascertain the maximum acceptable limit for a gap between theinterposer and the alignment guide through trial and error to ensure I/Opads of the chips being aligned with the contact pads of the interposer.Thereby, the description “the alignment guide is in close proximity tothe peripheral edges of the interposer” and “the alignment guide is inclose proximity to the peripheral edges of the first chip” mean that thegap between the alignment guide and the peripheral edges of theinterposer or the first chip is narrow enough to prevent the locationerror of the interposer from exceeding the maximum acceptable errorlimit.

The phrases “electrical connection” and “electrically connected”,“electrically coupled” and “electrically couple” refer to direct andindirect electrical connection. For instance, the first chip iselectrically connected to the second chip by bumps and the interposer.

The “first vertical direction” and “second vertical direction” do notdepend on the orientation of the semiconductor device, as will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, the firstsurface of the interposer faces the first vertical direction and thesecond surface of the interposer faces the second vertical directionregardless of whether the device is inverted. Likewise, the alignmentguide is “laterally” aligned with the interposer in a lateral planeregardless of whether the device is inverted, rotated or slanted. Thus,the first and second vertical directions are opposite one another andorthogonal to the lateral directions, and a lateral plane orthogonal tothe first and second vertical directions intersects laterally alignedelements.

The semiconductor device according to the present invention has numerousadvantages. For instance, the chips are face-to-face mounted on oppositesides of the interposer by a well-known flip chip bonding process suchas thermo-compression or solder reflow, which can offer the shortestinterconnect distance between the chips. The interposer provides a firstlevel fan-out routing/interconnection for the chips whereas theinterconnect substrate provides a second level fan-outrouting/interconnection. As the interconnect substrate can be attachedto the interposer by solder balls, not by direct build-up process, thesimplified process steps result in lower manufacturing cost. Thealignment guide can provide critical placement accuracy for theinterposer. As such, the shape or depth of the cavity that houses theembedded chip is not a critical parameter that needs to be tightlycontrolled. The face-to-face mounted chips can be thermally connected toseparate heat spreaders. The heat spreader can provide thermaldissipation, electromagnetic shielding and moisture barrier for theembedded chip, and also provides mechanical support for the chip, theinterposer and the interconnect substrate. The semiconductor device madeby this method is reliable, inexpensive and well-suited for high volumemanufacture.

The manufacturing process is highly versatile and permits a wide varietyof mature electrical and mechanical connection technologies to be usedin a unique and improved manner. The manufacturing process can also beperformed without expensive tooling. As a result, the manufacturingprocess significantly enhances throughput, yield, performance and costeffectiveness compared to conventional techniques.

The embodiments described herein are exemplary and may simplify or omitelements or steps well-known to those skilled in the art to preventobscuring the present invention. Likewise, the drawings may omitduplicative or unnecessary elements and reference labels to improveclarity.

What is claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor device with face-to-face chips oninterposer, comprising: a first chip; a second chip; a first heatspreader having a cavity; and an interposer having a first surface, asecond surface opposite to the first surface, first contact pads on thefirst surface, second contact pads on the second surface, and throughvias that electrically couple the first contact pads and the secondcontact pads, wherein the first chip is electrically coupled to thefirst contact pads of the interposer by a plurality of bumps to providea chip-on-interposer subassembly; the chip-on-interposer subassembly isattached to the first heat spreader using a thermally conductivematerial with the first chip enclosed in the cavity and the interposerlaterally extending beyond the cavity; and the second chip iselectrically coupled to the second contact pads of the interposer by aplurality of bumps.
 2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, furthercomprising a balancing layer that covers sidewalls of the interposer. 3.The semiconductor device of claim 2, further comprising an interconnectsubstrate that has a through opening and is electrically coupled toadditional second contact pads on the second surface of the interposerby a plurality of solder balls with the second chip inserted into thethrough opening.
 4. The semiconductor device of claim 1, furthercomprising a second heat spreader that is attached on the second chip.5. The semiconductor a device of claim 2, further comprising a secondheat spreader that has a cavity and is attached to the second chip usinga thermally conductive material with the second chip inserted into thecavity of the second heat spreader and the interposer laterallyextending beyond the cavity of the second heat spreader, wherein theinterposer laterally extends beyond peripheral edges of the first heatspreader to expose additional first contact pads on the first surface ofthe interposer.
 6. The semiconductor device of claim 5, furthercomprising an interconnect substrate that has a through opening and iselectrically coupled to the additional first contact pads of theinterposer by a plurality of solder balls with the first heat spreaderinserted into the through opening.
 7. The semiconductor device of claim2, further comprising a second heat spreader that has a cavity and isattached to the second chip using a thermally conductive material withthe second chip inserted into the cavity of the second heat spreader andthe interposer laterally extending beyond the cavity of the second heatspreader, wherein the interposer laterally extends beyond peripheraledges of the second heat spreader to expose additional second contactpads on the second surface of the interposer.
 8. The semiconductordevice of claim 7, further comprising an interconnect substrate that hasa through opening and is electrically coupled to the additional secondcontact pads of the interposer by a plurality of solder balls with thesecond heat spreader inserted into the through opening.
 9. Thesemiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising an alignment guide,wherein the alignment guide is positioned beyond the cavity of the firstheat spreader and laterally aligned with and in close proximity toperipheral edges of the interposer; or the alignment guide is positionedwithin the cavity of the first heat spreader and laterally aligned withand in close proximity to peripheral edges of the first chip.